Disintegrator.



Patented May 6, 1913,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

is dis.

H. BUGKLEY.

DISINTEGRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, lz 1912. 1,060,739.

coLuMmA PLANDGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

Patented May 6, 1913.

2 SHBETS-SHBET 2.

Mil/ 265565:

accorse.

HARRY BUCKLEY, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

DISINTEGRATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August l2, 1912.

Patented May 6,1913.

Serial No. 714,548.

To all whom z' may concern:

Be it known that l, HARRY BUCKLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson, State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in Disintegrators, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore various devices have been usedl for disintegrating middlings, but the devices most extensively used are subject to various disadvantages. For instance, one of the principal disadvantages incident to such disintegrators is that the bran and other impurities are shredded so that they bolt through with the flour and impair its quality. Another common disadvantage is that the disintegrator runs hot, that is, the middlings become heated to such an extent that the germ oils therein discolor the stock and t-he stock gets into such condition that it will not bolt freely but will suffer considerable loss of fiour in the bolting process.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a disintegrator that will be free from the disadvantages above mentioned and which will operate efficiently and economically.

The invention consists principally in arranging a spiral blade in such relation to a re-action plate that the middlings will be thoroughly crushed between them without being shredded; it also consists in an automatic delivery gate adapted to loosen and detach particles that have been fractured but not crushed entirely apart.

It also consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my device: Fig. 2 is an elevation of the delivery end of my device: Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inlet end of my device, with the driving mechanism removed; Fig. l is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the delivery opening; and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional detail of the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The body of my device is a cylindrical shell or casing 1 mounted horizontally on a suitable frame or support 2. Extending longitudinally through the casing or shell is a shaft 3 whose ends project beyond the casing and are mounted in suitable journal bearings 4 provided therefor on the frame work. One end of this shaft is provided with a pulley 5 or other suitable device for applying power thereto. The actuating mechanism should be capable of running the shaft 'at a velocity of from three hundred to three hundred and fty revolutions per minute under working conditions. Fixed to the shaft is a strong helical blade 6 of low pitch which blade serves not merely as a conveyer but also as a crusher, as more fully set forth hereinafter. This helical blade has a working fitin the casing or shell, that is, the helical blade works freely in the shell without being spaced farther therefrom than is practically necessary for clearance. In the upper side of the shell is an inlet or feed opening 7 which has a supply spout 8 communicating therewith. it the opposite end of the cylinder, the end wall 9 has a hole or opening 10 formed in the lower portion thereof for the delivery of the contents. rlthis delivery opening of arcuate or segmental shape, preferably extending through an arc of approximately one hundred and twenty degrees. The end plate at the delivery end of the cylinder is made heavy and rigid, and the helical blade terminates at a slight distance therefrom, say, from one sixteenth to one eighth of an inch.

The delivery hole is closed by a gate or closure 11 which is fixed on a horizontal rod or bar 12 below and parallel with the axis of the shaft. This bar or rod is mounted in hangers or guides therefor in the frame work so as to be slidable endwise thereof. Mounted on this rod or bar is a stout spiral spring 13 one end of which bears against the framework at the delivery end of the mechanism and the other end of which bears against a threaded nut 14 which works on a screw thread 15 provided therefor on said rod. rlhe nut 111 is thereby adjustable lengthwise of the rod to regulate the force of said spring. By this arrangement, the delivery opening is normally closed and the gate will resist considerable pressure tending to open it, say, a pressure of from five to twelve pounds per square inch; but will automatically open when the pressure against it exceeds the predetermined amount. This gate has a downwardly projecting portion 16 which is perforated to slide on a horizontal pin 17 mounted on the frame to serve as a guide therefor.

and a lip 19 is mounted on the outer face of the end plate iush with the lower edge of:

the opening, the lip being thickest at the bottom of the opening and gradually tapering to its ends. The upper outer edge of the closure is beveled off so as to form a sharp edge at the inner face thereof; and the 11p 19 is likewise beveled to form a sharp edge; The delivery hole 10 opens into a down-f As the bar ork rod upon which the delivery gate is mountspout 20 provided therefor.

ed is located below t-he delivery opening, its bearing is protected by means of a beveled shoulder 21 provided on the end plate above said rod or bar.

shaft 3 has a collar 22 fixed thereon, and this collar 22 fits in a recess 23 provided therefor in the bearings.

The operation of the device is as follows:` Power from any suitable source is appliedy to the pulley so as to cause the shaft to revolve at. a high speed, usually from three hundred to three hundred and fifty revolutions per minute. The middlings are fed to the machine through the inlet spout, whence they are driven toward the outlet end of the'casing. By reason of the delivery gate offering considerable resistance to the escape of the stock, and the helical blade being imperforate and practically fitting the casing, the stock is compacted at the delivery end of the casing under pressure. The action on the stock is not that of grinding or shredding but the action of crushing the stock between the end plate and the propeller blade. This crushing action may be likened to the crushing effect produced upon the stock by compressing a thick layer thereof to a mere fraction of its original thickness; that is, the crushing action is'transmitted from particle to particle and tends to disrupt the cellular matter without comminuting the fibrous matter. When the pressure of the stock against the delivery gate becomes great enough, the delivery gate is moved endwise of the casing so as to uncover the edge portion of the opening, whereupon the stock is forced in a thin layer or sheet past the sharp edges of the gate and of the lip of the opening. As the pressure against the gate varies with each revolution of the blade, there is a continual rapid pulsation of the gate during the practical working of the device, and the stock is all delivered under substantially uniform In order to take care of; the end thrust due to the reaction of the stock against the end plate of the casing, the

conditions. This pulsating delivery of the stock in a thin sheet over the sharp edges o-f the gate and lip has the effect of loosening or detaching the flour from the bran and other impurities without comminuting the bran, and of breaking up the balls or lumps, in consequence of which the stock is delivered in excellent condition for bolting. One o-f the elements that contributes to this excellent condition is the fact that the stock is not heated to any considerable extent when the machine is properly operated. In consequence of the eiiicient action of the machine as a disint-egrator and of the excellent condition of the stock delivered therefrom, a larger percentage of flour is obtained from a given amountof grain than can be obtained with other disintegrat-ors now in use; and I attribute this result, in part, to the narrow space or margin between the helical blade and the end ofthe shell or casing in connect-ion with the working fit of blade.

l/Vhile my device is especially designed for disintegrating middlings it is applicable to the treatment of co-rn meal and to the powdering of frable material which shall have been reduced to granular form.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A machine for disintegrating middlings comprising a horizontally mounted cylin` drical shell having a feed opening at or near one end and a delivery opening in the opposite end, a shaft extending axially through said shell, and a spiral blade rigidly mounted on said shaft and loosely fitting said shell, said shell having an automatic normally closed gate for said delivery opening adapted to yield to a predetermined pressure from within, and the end of said spiral blade clearing the delivery end of said shell by a narrow margin as specified.

2. A machine for disintegrating middlings comprising a horizontally mounted cylindrical shell having a` feed opening at or near one end and a delivery opening in the opposite end, ashaft ext-ending axially through said shell, means for driving said shaft at high speed, and an imperforate spiral blade rigid on said shaft and loosely fitting said shell, said shell having an automatic normally closed gate for said delivery opening adapted to yield to a predetermined pressure from within, and the end of said spiral blade clearing the delivery end of said shell by a narrow margin as specified.

3. A machine for disintegrating middlings comprising a horizontally mounted .cylindrical shell having a feed opening at or near one end and a delivery opening in the lower portion of the opposite end, a shaft extending axially through said shell, and a spiral blade rigidly mounted on said shaft and loosely fitting said shell, said shell having a sharp-edged gate for said delivery opening adapted to yield to a predetermined pressure from within, and thereby uncover the marginal portion of said delivery openmg.

4f. A machine for disintegrating middlings comprising a horizontally mounted cylindrical shell having a feed opening at or near one end and a delivery opening in the lower portion of the opposite end, a shaft extending axially through said shell, a spiral blade rigidly mounted` on said shaft and loosely fitting said shell, and a gate for said delivery opening movable endwise of said shell and adapted to yield to a predetermined pressure from within, and the end of said spiral blade clearing the delivery endy of said shell by a narrow margin as specified, the inner face of said gate being inclined inwardly and upwardly and the upper portion of said gate and the lower portion of the outlet opening having sharp edges.

Signed at Louisville, Kentucky, this 7th day of August, 1912.

HARRY BUCKLEY. Witnesses:

Gr. H. MOURNING, Jr., LOUISE KANNAPELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

